


Losing My Nephilim (Loving A Nephilim Book Five)

by EideticPrettyBoySpence



Series: Loving a Nephilim [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:54:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22811311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EideticPrettyBoySpence/pseuds/EideticPrettyBoySpence
Summary: This story takes place during 14x6-14x7 (the end comes from the very beginning of 14x8)
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester/Original Female Character(s), Jack Kline/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Loving a Nephilim [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1246541
Kudos: 1





	Losing My Nephilim (Loving A Nephilim Book Five)

After a couple of days it seems like Jack must have been right, that he must have had his first cold since he was human now. I had been staying home with him instead of working cases so I could take care of him. But one day he told me me that I should get out, go with Sam and Charlie to a case where there's been missing people but nothing concrete. I agreed as long as either Cas, Dean, or both stayed home with him, just in case something happened. Charlie, Sam, and I are sitting in a parking lot on a stakeout, and the younger Winchester is playing with a fidget spinner. His phone rings and I can faintly hear Dean's voice from the other end. But I can only hear Sam's side of the conversation clearly. "Are you sure? Just you guys? I mean we can probably send some other hunters out there. It's so close, and- yeah. Be careful." "Sam, give me that phone real quick," I barely give Dean a chance to say hello before I cut him off. "You better bring Jack home safe or I'm giving you an earful when I get back, Dean Winchester. Yeah, I will, you too. I love you." "Dean's going on a hunt with Jack," Sam says as I hand him his phone. "Good for them," Charlie looks up from her book. "Are you sure this is the right place?" "Well, it's where those four people disappeared, and when I was scouting around, I found this," Charlie reaches onto the floor of the car and hands Sam a mason jar of black liquid. "What, goo?" "Goo. So, yeah, I'd say this is the right place. Now I'm just trying to figure out what we're dealing with. Thus, books." Everything is quiet in the car after that, except for the sound of Sam chewing his nails. I rub his shoulder softly, and Charlie looks up from her book with a soft smile in his direction "He'll be fine. Your brother, I mean. He's got other friends, right?" "I mean, he is kind of an acquired taste," I laugh fondly. "Funny. Um, he used to have a pretty damn good wing man." "So, call that guy to check on him." "That 'guy' was you." "No, it wasn't." Right. I- sorry, I didn't mean to... I'm just saying, I'm not surprised you survived the apocalypse." "Yeah. Well, I am. Sam, before all this, I was just a programmer at Richard Roman Enterprises. I lived with the love of my life, and we-" "Wait, you- you did?" "Yeah. So, your Charlie, she-" Sam shakes his head; he didn't know about Charlie and me, nobody did. "Guess she never met Kara." "Kara." "Uh... she owned a bakery outside of Chicago. Cupcakes. It was like something out of a storybook. She always smelled like peaches, and her smile was just... Michael and Lucifer, when they started their war, first thing, a giant EMP or something like it went off over North America. Fried every bit of technology. Cellphones, power plants. For the first few days, we banded together. Thought, 'hey, someone'll save us'. No one ever did. When the food ran out, people got mean. Mobs started forming, stealing whatever they could get their hands on. A lot of people died," Charlie's voice cracks. "People are always the same when things go wrong- they lose it. One day, the water gets shut off, the next day, people are on fire. It's a fact about society- it all falls apart." "Not here," Sam says. "Not yet," Charlie replies. "How many books are you reading?" Sam asks after a moment's silence. "All of them," Charlie says with a sigh. "I hate hunting." "Really? Cause I got to say, you're pretty amazing at it." "Yeah, well, when it's that or die by angel kill squad..." "Right." "I mean, no offense, but who wants to be a hunter? This job, it's just a lot of tears and death." My heart squeezes painfully at the familiar words, and Sam chuckles. "Funny. You, uh- you said something like that to me once long ago about hunting. Not you. Uh, sorry. Our Charlie." "Well, she was right. So glad this is my last case." "What?" "I told myself I'd help you out for a while, at least until everyone got really settled, and then... I'm out." "To do what? To go where?" "Away. From monsters, from people, from... I'll go live on a mountaintop or something. As long as there's good Wi-Fi," she reads her book silently for a couple of minutes before she speaks. "Got something. Have you ever heard of a Musca?" "Yeah, like a hybrid between a man and a fly. A lot of stories about them, but no one's ever seen one in real life. If they do exist, they keep to themselves." "Look at you." "Oh, I have read all the books." "Nerd. But check this. Every few hundred years, there's a 'bad egg'. When a male fails to find a mate, he abandons his community and starts using people's bodies to nest, binding them together with a viscous goo. And when the goo fits..." "Oh, great. Our perp might just be a giant fly with low self-esteem." "Uh, guys, check it out," I interrupt them. "Sam." "Yeah?" "What is that?" We watch as a figure dressed all in black, including a beekeepers hat and gloves, sits down on the bus stop bench next to two elderly ladies, gradually scooting closer to them until they get uncomfortable and get up. Then the figure picks up a briefcase and walks off in the opposite direction they went. Hours pass in silence until the sun goes down, and finally, Sam speaks up, turning to Charlie. "Charlie, you can't just quit and go live on a mountain somewhere. People need people." "Why? Cause they're the luckiest people in the world?" "No, come on. We just do. We're social animals." "Emphasis on 'animals'." "Yeah, but you're also a hunter. The things we've seen, it's not so easy to just walk away from it all. Believe me, I've tried. Our Charlie tried," Sam says in frustration. "Yeah, well, again, she ain't me. It's my life, Sam. Not hers and not yours. He's back. That's gotta be our guy, right? I say we rush him." "Uh... wait for it. Wait for it. We don't want to run up and tackle some regular guy just cause he's into weird fashion." "Mm, don't we?" Just then the bus pulls up, blocking our view of the two people sitting on the bench. When it finally pulls away, the bench is empty. "Damn it! Go, go, go, go!" We run across the street and into an alley, chasing after the figure in black. But by the time we get to the alley he had disappeared. "Not a lot of options," Sam says. "I cased this block earlier," Charlie says, looking at a door. "That was definitely locked... and, you know, not covered in goo." "You said there was something in the book about, uh, uh, a brass nail dipped in sugar water can kill it?" "In theory, since no one's actually seen one. And we have exactly zero of those items handy, so..." "So, we get creative," Sam says. Sam swings open the door and we walk in with our guns raised and flashlights sweeping. We immediately hear the sound of flies buzzing, and a putrid smell makes me dry heave for a moment. "Ugh. Oh, god. That is, uh..." "Rancid as hell," I cut in. "Yeah, smells like pine cleaner and rotting meat." We walk slowly down a wooden staircase into the warehouse, splitting up once we reach the bottom. Charlie and I walk into another room to see a pile of bodies, and we call out for Sam to join us. "Sam?" "Yeah, he was chloroformed, all right." "I found him," Charlie says. We walk slowly over to the pile of bodies to find the man with the tan coat. Charlie bends down to feel his pulse, and he moans softly. "He's still alive. We should get him out of here." Just then a hand with a black glove reaches up and grabs Charlie's shirt. She screams and pulls back out of the creature's grip, falling backward on the ground, knocking herself out. "Charlie. Hey, hey, Charlie," Sam bends to check her pulse "Charlie!" The creature rises slowly out of his nest of bodies, hissing softly as it stares at us. Then it launches itself at Sam, knocking him over, and its proboscis feels around on his face. Charlie wakes up and stabs the creature in the back, allowing Sam to shoot it, spraying her in guts. "So... we got creative. Cool." We take the man to the hospital, having to come up with a story of what happened to him. On the way home, we're all quiet for a long time. Then Sam finally speaks up, turning to us. "You know, I think that guy from the bus stop- I think he'll be all right. I bet they'll take good care of him at the hospital." "He's also gonna wake up with a serious headache." "Better than being killed. Got to say, I do feel kind of bad for the Musca. I-I mean, he could have been happy if it stayed with his people. Didn't have to go off on its own just because-" "Okay, I get it. I am just like the bug, and I shouldn't go out on my own," Charlie says. "But your nifty metaphor has holes. I wasn't looking for love. I found it, and I lost it. And I didn't kill people and literally nest in their body parts, so..." "Okay, I know, I know. How about this? Don't leave. Hear me out. Sure, some people can do bad things when they're desperate or scared, but I mean, the guy we just saved, he has a wife, children. I'm not saying all people are good people, or even that most people are, but... if we help people, then maybe they'll help people and all that. And that's worth it. Even with all the tears and death- it's worth it.” “Just to be super clear, I am nothing like that fly monster. But- I’ll think about staying.” When we’re no more than an hour or less away from the bunker, Sam’s phone rings and he picks it up. He listens to Dean on the other end for a minute before speaking, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Wait, Dean- woah, slow down. What happened to Jack?” I listen to Sam talk to his brother. “I told you to be careful if you took him on that hunt. No, we’re almost there, we’ll figure it out together.” As Sam hangs up the phone, I turn to Charlie, face pale as a sheet and blood rushing in my ears. I hear everything as if I’m underwater, or in a dream. “Charlie, step on it, hurry up. There won’t be any cops way out here so we won’t get a ticket for speeding. Get me back to the bunker, now!!” When we finally get home, I practically shove Sam out of my way, yelling an apology over my shoulder as I run into the bunker. I throw the door open and take the steps three at a time, yelling Dean’s name. When he comes from the hallway leading to the bedroom, I meet him halfway, shoving him backward and raising my hand, slapping him across the face as hard as I can. Surprisingly he lets me, instead of putting up a hand to block the slap or catch my wrist in his hand. I beat my fists on his chest a couple of times, tears rolling unchecked down my cheeks. When I run out of steam I just collapse into his arms, sobbing harshly. Sam comes up behind me and demands to know what happened. Then all we can do is wait in the hallway outside of his room as Cas tries to figure out what happened, and hopefully heal him. I wrap my arms tightly around my middle, and Dean holds me against his chest as we wait for the angel to come back. "What's taking so long?" Dean says finally. "I don't know. Whatever's going on with Jack is probably complicated." "Yeah, but, I mean, weird stuff happens to kids all the time. They get coughs, bloody noses." Finally, after an agonizingly long wait, Cas comes out of Jack's room. I look up from the spot on the floor I was staring at and look up at my angel, tears flowing silently down my cheeks. I have to fight the urge to run into Jack's room, and instead stay and listen to the conversation between Cas and Dean. "Is he okay?" "I- I did what I could, but I don't- I- I don't know what's wrong with him." "But you can figure it out, right?" Before Cas can answer, there's a loud clatter from Jack's room, and I push past Sam when he opens the door. My heart stops when I see Jack on the floor next to his bed, on his side, coughing and wheezing. I run around his bed and fall to my knees next to him, and I gasp when I see he's foaming at the mouth. "Sam!!" "Jack. Hey," he turns him onto his back. I wrap my arms around my knees, rocking back and forth a little bit. Dean crouches next to me and I curl into his arms, sobbing harshly. Then he helps me to my feet as Sam helps Jack up, and we run out to the Impala. I sit in the backseat, Jack's head resting in my lap, as Dean speeds off in the direction of town. The tires squeal as he turns into the parking lot of the hospital, and I run behind Sam as he supports Jack. We run into the emergency room and Dean throws the doors open, yelling at the top of his lungs. "I need a doctor! Hey," he goes up to the receptionist. "Look, could you just get him inside?" "Sir, I just need some basic information. That's the procedure. I do the work-up, then I take him back." I have to force myself not to lunge over the desk at the nurse as Dean speaks to her. I ball my hand into a fist so tight my knuckles turn white and my nails cut into my palm hard enough to probably draw blood. "Okay, the basic information is he's sick." "Do you see anyone here who isn't? His full name, please. You do know his name, right?" "Jack," Dean says, looking at Sam. "Uh, uh, Kline. Jack Kline." "K-l-i-n-e," Cas spells it. "Date of birth?" "Come on. Is that important?" "What did you say your relationship is to the patient?" "May 18th. Date of birth- May 18th," Sam says. "2000. '99..." Dean hesitates a moment. "2000." "Uh-huh. Family medical history? Let's start with the father." "He's dead." "Cause of death?" "He was stabbed through the heart, and he exploded," Cas says, and I let out a semi-hysterical giggle. "Okay, you know what? We don't have time for this. All right, he's sick. His name is Jack Kline. His father exploded. There, you've got all the basics. Now, what does he need to do to see a doctor?" At that moment, Jack passes out, and he falls to the floor as his arm slips out of Cas' grip. So finally a few nurses run over pushing a bed, I climb onto it and Cas places Jack in my arms. I brush his hair off his forehead as they rush us back to a room, tears falling on his shirt. "It's all right, Jack. Hang in there, buddy," Sam says. "Jack, hey, we're right here, buddy," Dean says. "You're gonna be okay, baby," my voice is thick with tears. "He's in good hands. Don't worry." "So, there's- there's been... uh, he's been coughing. There's been blood. It's been going on for a while." "Okay, gentlemen, can you at least wait outside, please? You too, sweetheart." "Yeah, no, I'm not leaving him. That's not happening," I glare at the nurse and she raises her hands. "What's happened? Is he gonna be okay?" Dean asks as he's pushed out of the room with Cas and Sam. "The doctor will handle it, but sweetheart, I think it would be better if you waited outside." "Okay..." I slide Jack gently off my lap. "Jack, we're right here!" I watch as the nurse cuts Jack's shirt off, hooking him up to a heart monitor and oxygen. Then I turn my face into Cas' chest, clinging to him and trembling slightly. He scoops me into his arms and sits on a chair outside Jack's room, where we wait outside for hours without being allowed inside to see him. Finally, I stand up and walk over to the window, pressing a shaky hand to the glass. Dean, Cas, and Sam all come up behind me and look inside. Dean rests his hands on my shoulders and I lean back against him with a sigh. "This is crazy. When Jack became human, I was worried, you know, given what we do, that- that something would happen to him, but I thought it'd be a vampire or a ghoul, not a friggin' cough. He's just a kid." "Hey, hey, hey. Cas. Doctor." Sam cuts off his brother's ranting, and I breathe a sigh of relief as the doctor walks toward us. "So, um... what do we know?" "Well, I can tell you what we don't know." "I don't like the sound of that." "Jack's test results all came back negative." "That's great, right?" "Well, Jack- he's very ill. We're just not sure what we're up against." "You just said his test results came back negative," Dean says. "Well, those tests, but we have to run more tests." "More tests?" "Yes, until we can figure out what's happening to him." "What is happening to him right now?" "Jack..." the doctor sighs. "Jack's in total systemic failure. His body's in the process of shutting down." I feel the blood rushing in my ears, and my vision goes black as I pass out. I wake up to see Dean and Cas kneeling on either side of me. They help me sit up carefully, one of each of their hands on my back. I'm confused for a moment until I remember what the doctor said, then I collapse against Dean, clinging to his shirt as I sob harshly. Finally, I manage to cry myself to sleep, and I wake up the next morning to find that Dean had picked me up and sat in a chair. I see Cas in Jack's room and I walk inside slowly, almost passing out again when I see him lying there, pale and unmoving in the bed. The beeping of the heart monitor is the only indicator that he's even alive. I can hear Dean and Sam talking a few minutes later, so obviously they had woken up not much later than I did. "Let me ask you a question. How much longer are we gonna give this? How many more tests are there gonna be?" Dean says. "My opinion? I think we're done here." "Yeah, that was kinda my opinion, too." "I mean, this place, we tried, but they've never seen anything like Jack, and we can't exactly tell them what he is." "Then let's get him out of here. Let's bring him home, let's do what we do. Let's find a way. Hell, I was even thinkin' maybe Rowena..." "Already called her." The brother's come into the room and wake Jack up from his nap, and we all help him get out of bed and stand up. Then Cas takes off his trench coat and helps his son slip it on his arms. Dean packs his clothes in a bag from the hospital, and then the doctor comes in as Sam is handing him one of his shoes. "Uh, what... what's goin' on?" "What's it look like? You can't expect him to hit the street with nothing on but a hospital gown, his ass hanging out," Dean says. "He's not going anywhere." "We're just getting a second opinion," Sam says. "Jack?" The nephilim sighs as his shoe slips out of his grip, looking up at the doctor. "We're getting a second opinion." "If he leaves the hospital, we are no longer responsible for him. You and he have to acknowledge that you're leaving against medical advice." "Fine," Sam says as he and Cas each take one of Jack's arms. "We're leaving," Jack says before they walk out with me on their heels. "Yeah, there's just no talkin' to him when he gets like this," Dean says before he follows. We drive home as fast as we can, and I pace the living room of the bunker as we wait for Rowena. Finally, she opens the door and Sam meets her at the bottom of the steps. I had sat in a chair after a while, but I jump up and throw myself into her arms with a sob. She hugs me tightly and rubs my back softly, murmuring to me. "Thanks for coming," Sam says. "I got here as quick as I could. How is he?" "Well, uh..." "Not good," I finish. "I brought the Book of the Damned." "Which, um, you stole." "Which I borrowed amidst the ruckus of all those folks arriving from the other world, but we can talk about that later. Just how sick is Dean?" Rowena asks. Of course, she'd never help if she knew it was Lucifer's son who was sick. "Yeah, about that, um..." "What? Is this a trick? Samuel, I thought we were beyond this." "Somebody is sick, all right, but... Listen, I-I don't know how well you got to know our- our- our friend Jack with everything that was going on when you were here, but we've sort of been taking care of him, and, he's, um... Lucifer's son." "Goodbye," Rowena says, picking up her bag. "No, no, no. Stop, stop. He's a great kid. His mother was a fantastic human being, a-a-and he wanted nothing to do with Lucifer, who is dead, as you know." "I hope he's rotting." "Yes, but Lucifer stole Jack's grace, so he's powerless now, and- and something's going on with him, and he might die." "Oh, splendid! The sooner the better! From what I know of the father, the world will be better off without the son." "You might be right," Jack says from behind Rowena, and I walk over to him. He wraps an arm around my shoulder as he continues. "We're all still figuring that out. I'm Jack. And I know people have a lot of strong feelings about my father, but I'm- I'm trying hard not to be like him. Sam and Dean, they- they say such nice things about you." "They do?" "You saved all of us- from Apocalypse World." "Well, that's true." "So, before you go, I- I just wanted to say... thank you," he says before he starts coughing. "Jack. Hey, buddy. Hey. You're alright." "Rowena, please, I love him," I run my fingers through his hair as he lays his head on my shoulder. "Please, please, help us." "Bollocks," the witch says. Sam helps Jack back to his room and Rowena follows, bringing a cart over and taking supplies out of her bag. Sam and I help Jack lay down, and I sit on a chair next to his bed, holding his hand gently. I brush his hair out of his eyes as Rowena sets up, opening the Book of the Damned and putting ingredients into a bowl. She starts the incantation and her eyes glow violet as she puts her hands out. After a moment Jack sits up and looks at the witch. "How am I?" She walks out of the room and I follow her after I kiss Jack softly and promise I'll be right back. When we walk out, Dean walks over, and Cas and Sam look over at the witch. "And?" "It's as I suspected. A nephilim, for all its power, is an unnatural presence. Part human, part angel... it- it doesn't quite fit. It's delicate. Its grace is what holds it in balance, and when Jack's grace was taken from him, his being fell into chaos. The- the cells are gobbling each other up." "Well, if it's grace he needs, he can have mine." "No, dear, it won't do. Jack is part archangel. He needs a much stronger force and probably some kind of magic, and he needs it quick." "How quick?" "I don't... I don't exactly know, but he's enterin' a critical phase. Sometimes he'll look just fine, but then his body will give way and... it will be the end of him." Dean walks to the kitchen and I follow him, watching him make Jack a sandwich. I pour him a glass of milk, then we walk back to Jack's room and I see him packing a bag. Dean walks in right behind me, holding the plate and glass. "Hey, pal. I brought you some carbs. You, uh... you goin' somewhere?" "Thought I'd go to Vegas. Maybe Tahiti," Jack grunts softly as he lifts the duffel bag onto his shoulder. "Okay. Nice. You think this is the best time?" "Pretty sure it is." "Listen, Jack-" "Since I've been alive, everyone assumed I would be this special 'person' who goes on forever. Only now it looks like forever might be a couple of weeks, so-" "We don't know that." "What I do know is I'm done being special. Before my life is over, I want to live it. I-I just want a chance to... get a tan... to see a hockey game... get a parking ticket..." he laughs softly. "Get bored... and when it's all over... die." "So that's your plan, huh?" "I don't want to waste time arguing. I know you disagree." "Did I say I disagree?" Dean decides that he’s going to take Jack on a road trip, and I’m not letting him out of my sight just in case. So we go out to the living room to find Sam and Cas and tell them we’re leaving. Cas looks up when we enter the room and frowns at Dean for a moment. “Dean, the bunker’s vault has a number of Enochian texts on archangels, but nothing on their half-human offspring.” “And I’ve spoken to some of the greatest minds in witchcraft, and they all say there’s nothing that’ll help Jack.” “Well, then, they’re not the greatest minds, are they?” “Well, I just got off the phone with Ketch,” Sam says. “Um, he’s got a line on a shaman.” “A shaman?” “Yeah, the British Men of Letters used to use him- as a consultant. Whenever they needed to ‘solve the unsolvable’- he was their guy. He’s an expert in mysticism- esoteric divinity. I mean, Ketch says the Brits swore by him.” “Ketch ‘says’,” Cas and I say. “Yeah. His name’s Sergei, I-I got a location, and Ketch says he’ll set up a meeting.” “Okay, I’ll go,” Cas says. “You and Dean need to stay here with, uh...” “Jack, hey,” Sam says. “W- what are you, uh-" "We're- We're headed out." "You're, uh... where?" "We're takin' Baby for some exercise." "You think that's a good idea?" "Yeah. Come on." We drive for a while until we pass by this place called Rollin' Thunder Burger Barn. We order burgers and milkshakes, and then Dean tosses the keys to Jack, who catches them and looks at Dean confused. "Hey, why don't you drive?" "...what? Dean, I-I don't drive." "Now you do." "Hey, it'll be fine, you got this," I take Jack's hand and squeeze it softly before climbing in the backseat. "I know you can do it, baby." "Okay, um..." "Ah, ah, ah. That 'R' is not for 'Race'." Dean says as Jack puts the car in gear. "Put it in park. Start it." "Okay... um..." "There we go." "Okay." "D for 'drive'." Jack pulls out of the parking lot and turns the car right. He drives for a few hundred feet and then slams on the brakes. "Okay. All right." "Okay, uh..." "Keep going." "Okay. You know what?" "Okay, look, I'm not very good at this." "No, you're doing just fine. Okay, try using one foot, not two, and uh, just relax. Take it smooth. Don't overthink it. Here we go." "Okay." "See? Huh?" "Yeah." "Perfect. Woah, woah. Let's keep it in between the lines. There we go. That's... all right. What do you think?" "It's like I'm you." "No, it's not. Eyes on the road. Feels good, doesn't she?" "Yeah," Jack takes a hand off the wheel, hanging his arm out the window. "Oh, ho, ho. All right." "This is the best day ever!" "You know what? There's nobody around. Why don't you open it up a little bit." A while later we pull over and get out to eat our food. I sit in front of Jack with one leg bent, knees touching softly. I study his face as we eat, blinking tears away before either guy notices. I finish my burger and take the last few sips of my shake. "I can drive." "Yeah, you can." "No, for real. I'm a driver." "Yeah, born with the wheel in your hand, right? All right, so what do you want to do next? I know a bar near here, little low on class, but high on hook-up potential. Personally, I've never missed at this place. Hm?" "Seriously, Dean?" "Yeah, maybe not. Sorry baby." "Actually, I've kind of got an idea." So we end up finding a bait and tackle shop, buying three poles, bait, and a tackle box. Then we buy some beer, drive out to a lake, and sit down on some rocks to fish. Dean helps me when I slip, and I finally sit on a rock next to Jack. "Well, bait, whiskey, and beer. You two are cheap dates. This certainly isn't Tahiti." "You once told me you and your father did the exact same thing. It was your happiest memory of him." "I didn't say that." "It was how you said it. I could tell. I guess my point is... if I don't make it..." I choke on my whiskey. "The stuff I'd miss- it wouldn't be things like Tahiti. Or the Taj Mahal. I'd miss more time with you. I'm getting that life isn't all these big, amazing moments. It's time together that matters. Like this." "Well, who'd have thought hanging out with me would make you sentimental?" "I've had a good life, Dean." When we get tired of fishing, we decide to head back to the bunker. Cas had come back from Sergei's house not long before. So all of us gather in the infirmary to try the ritual that he gave us. "This Sergei was legit. I mean, he was definitely odd, but he seemed honest." "So we're still not certain this is gonna work?" "No, we're not certain, but..." "Gentlemen? Are you ready Jack?" "Yes." "All right, here you go." Sam gives Jack a vial of archangel grace, and he drinks it. His eyes glow gold for a moment. "Something." "Something good?" "I think so," Jack stands up. "Definite improvement" "That's great," Sam says. "Yeah," but then he coughs and passes out. "Rowena!" I say. "Did you say the words right?" "I did!" "Say them again!" Cas calls Sergei as Dean carries Jack to bed. I curl up against his side, resting my head and hand on his chest as I sob. I hear the angel's words clearly even though he's not in the room, that's how pissed he is. "Of course we followed the instructions, and Rowena performed the spell exactly as written, but he is worse. He's much worse. You need to come at once." Finally, Cas comes back into the room and stands by Sam and Dean. I don't pay them any attention, holding Jack's hand as Rowena tries one last-ditch effort to try and save my nephilim's life. "I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have taken him out." "It was what he wanted," Cas replies. "I mean, we knew he was gonna get worse, regardless." "It was too much of a risk." "Yeah, but, Dean, life, all of it, is a risk. Jack knew that." "And you made him happy," Cas cuts in. "You did more for him than any of us." "So, what can we do?" Sam asks Rowena as she walks out. "Watch over him. Stay by his side... as he dies." So for weeks, that’s what I do. I don’t leave Jack’s room, I can’t eat, I’m scared to sleep in case he dies while I’m not awake. One day, we’re all in his room. He struggles to sit up, and I help him, letting him rest his head on my shoulder as I run my fingers softly through his hair. “Hey, hey, hey, it’s alright. Take it easy, take it easy. It’s alright. It’s alright.” “Please don’t be sad,” Jack kisses my forehead. “Maybe- maybe this is how things are supposed to be.” “Don’t give me that ‘meant to be’ crap. This isn’t part of some damn plan.” “Dean...” As Jack starts coughing and uses the oxygen we had brought in his room, Dean sighs and walks out. “Can you tell him... it’s okay?” Jack tells Sam. “Tell him yourself. He’ll be back in a minute.” “Sam... what happens next... for someone like me?” “I don’t know.” “Then it’s gonna be an adventure.” And with that, my nephilim scoots down in bed and lays his head on my chest. His breathing slows until finally, it stops, and I let out a harsh sob, rocking his body gently. I go limp in Sam’s arms as he wraps them around me and kisses the top of my head softly as he holds me. Finally, Dean and Cas come back in the room, and Sam says the two words I’ve been dreading. “He’s gone.”


End file.
